Summary

• Encounter a variety of random characters and events in Fallout 4, from traveling merchants like Mac to named feral ghoul packs.
• Keep an eye out for unique encounters like wounded dogs and con men impersonating Preston Garvey to add depth to gameplay.
• Discover side quest opportunities like helping Ness with a job or meeting cool characters like Duke from the Atom Cats faction.

Fallout 4 is packed full of quests, hidden locations, factions, and settlements to keep any Sole Survivor busy for hundreds of hours. But there are also some fascinating and sometimes funny random encounters that can take place to help make sure that no two playthroughs feel completely alike. From wandering merchants and cool NPCs to cheeky impostors and blasts from the past, there are over 150 randomly chosen events that the Sole Survivor can experience.

Random encounters in Fallout 4 fall into different categories, such as static encounters that will often occur around specific map points to fluid encounters which will usually trigger while following a particular road or route. While many of these chance meetings might lead to combat, there are also some that can have more positive outcomes or even some of Fallout 4's more interesting side quests. So, while the Sole Survivor explores the Commonwealth, it’s always fun to keep an eye out for any of these random encounters.

10 Mac - Traveling Bartender

Buys & Sells Aid Items

While wandering the Commonwealth, it's not hard to believe that the Sole Survivor must need a snack or a little pick-me-up from time to time. That's why finding Mac can be such a pleasant surprise when his bar appears in certain locations. Mac and his pop-up bar can be encountered several times in multiple places, such as just south of the WRVR broadcast station, close to Graygarden and sometimes even near the deathclaw nest featured in the weird side quest "The Devil's Due."

Mac is a nice enough guy, and when first spotted will often be talking to himself, musing about how perhaps a busty waitress might bring in more customers. When asked why he's opted for such an odd location, Mac will explain about the cost of setting up a bar in a settlement and how owning a bar has always been a dream of his. As expected, Mac sells food and drinks but will only buy items from the aid category if the Sole Survivor is looking to trade.

9 Kat & Gus - Traveling Child Merchant

Just A Girl & Her Robot

While adults wandering the wastelands of the Commonwealth are a familiar sight, spotting a child seemingly on their own can cause concern. If the Sole Survivor should happen to bump into young Kat though, they can breathe easy knowing that this intrepid young trader is guarded by her very own sentry bot called Gus. If spoken to, Kat will sell a mixture of ammo, junk, and food, but her selection is small.

There is no backstory for Kat and Gus and her dialogue in-game is extremely limited, but the duo may be a BioShock reference to Big Daddy and Little Sister. Sole Survivors are left to wonder just what happened to leave this young girl all alone in the world, with a heavily armed robot as her companion. Kat and Gus can often be found on roads at various locations, such as north of Drumlin Diner.

If Gus is killed by the Sole Survivor, Kat will cry that they killed her only friend, and she will refuse to interact further.

8 Named Feral Ghoul Pack - Combat Encounter

The Pre-War Residents Of Sanctuary Hills

Packs of feral ghouls are a common sight in Fallout 4, but it is possible to come across a pack filled with named ghouls, which those with good memories will immediately recognize from the game’s intro. It's always nice to bump into old friends, especially when traveling in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. But that is definitely not the case if the Sole Survivor happens to cross paths with their former neighbors, as the unfortunate fate of their pre-war community is revealed.

The Donoghues, Sumners, Parkers, and Ms. Rosa can all be seen during the introduction fleeing toward Vault 111, but they will all end up getting stopped at the gate. Obviously, the group survived the bombs but must have been ghoulified from their radiation exposure. 210 years later, the residents of Sanctuary Hills are all still together but have unfortunately become feral, meaning this will not be a happy reunion.

The pack's levels will scale with the Sole Survivor's and can even change ghoul type, making this encounter potentially deadly.

7 Wounded Dog - Random Interaction

Give Her A Name But Not A Home

As the Sole Survivor explores the Commonwealth, there is a chance that they might spot a wounded dog, whimpering in pain. While at a first glance this might seem like another hostile mongrel, which seems to be the dog equivalent of ghouls, this dog will be ive. After approaching, it is possible to help the dog with a Stimpak, after which the Sole Survivor can give her a name.

The name options are Mutt, Sparky, or even Buttface, otherwise the Sole Survivor can simply ask her name, which will default to Mutt. Afterward, this happy good girl will play with a teddy bear or follow the Sole Survivor for a short distance. The only downside to this encounter is there is no way to send this new friend to a settlement where she will be safe.

6 Jack Or Lorenzo Cabot - Random Interaction

The Consequences Of Quest Choices

At the end of the Cabot House questline the Sole Survivor will have the choice between siding with Jack or his father Lorenzo. Whichever is chosen, there is a chance to encounter Jack or Lorenzo in the Commonwealth. While Jack will be traveling with Edward Deegan with a desire to explore before he dies and will trade caps for fiber optics, Lorenzo's encounter is much more sinister.

If Lorenzo is met again on the road, the Sole Survivor will find him standing over the bodies of several dead ghoul settlers. Lorenzo will happily it that he killed them to study their condition, and that many more will need to be examined for his studies to continue. This chilling meeting seems to confirm that Jack was correct about his father's state of mind all along.

5 Expert Merchants - Traveling Unique Settlers

Recruit Them To Settlements

It is possible to meet several tier-four merchants when exploring the Commonwealth, who can upgrade stalls within settlements for better equipment. These merchants are unique Fallout 4 settlers that can be recruited and will have special stock. Two of these merchants can be found at random campfires, while the other two can be encountered walking the roads of the wasteland.

Ron Staples, a bartender, and Doc Anderson, who is a medic, will spawn at the various campfire markers all over the map and can each be recruited to settlements with populations over 20. The Scribe and Smiling Larry are a little more difficult to find, as they are fluid encounters that roam along certain roads. Larry and the Scribe could also be difficult to find if Automatron is installed, as it will override many of their spawning locations.

4 Preston Garvey Impersonator - Random Interaction

Seeing Double With A Con Man

Preston Garvey is often one of the first companions in Fallout 4 that the Sole Survivor will meet as he fights off a group of raiders in the Museum of Freedom. So it can come as a bit of a shock to run across another man on the roads of the Commonwealth also claiming to be Preston Garvey. This smooth talker will even use Preston's original greeting about the Sole Survivor having impeccable timing before going into his sales pitch.

It seems that "Preston" would like a donation of 100 caps to keep the Minutemen running and is asking concerned citizens for help. There are a few ways to handle this situation, such as the Sole Survivor telling him that they know the real Preston or that they are the General of the Minutemen. But once he's found out, the impersonator will run away, presumably to con more people.

Having Preston as a companion during this encounter does nothing to change any dialogue, and neither Preston will acknowledge the other. This is disappointing, as this seems like a missed opportunity for drama or comedy.

3 Gene The Dog Seller - Traveling Merchant

A Rather Hesitant Dog Vendor

Although there are con men prowling the Commonwealth, there are also a fair number of honest traders just looking to make a living. Walking along the roads of the wasteland, the Sole Survivor might be lucky enough to meet Gene, a mild-mannered man who loves to breed dogs. Gene will often spawn near Abernathy Farm, although he can also pop up at Oberland station, Sanctuary Hills, and Graygarden, among many other locations.

Gene will explain his love of dogs and how he breeds them to sell, but then always feels down afterward as he misses them. Gene is strangely very reluctant to sell his dog and will require a Charisma check and 250 caps. After a dog is bought, it can be sent to any settlement where it will raise the defense rating by five.

2 Ness - Side Quest Opportunity

Scavenging Mercenary In Need Of Help

There are plenty of side quests in Fallout 4 that can be stumbled upon as well as picked up from random encounters. One of the rarer encounters is Ness, a treasure hunter of sorts who will offer to hire the Sole Survivor as muscle for a job. If accepted, the side quest "Meet Ness at the Crash Site" will begin and the map will show the location of a plane crash to reunite with Ness.

Along with Ness and a couple of hired mercs, usually Gunners, the Sole Survivor can clear out raiders occupying the site of the wreck of Skylanes flight 1981. Once the raiders have been dealt with, Ness will reveal that Skylanes was part of a huge smuggling ring before the bombs, and she wanted to find their secret cargo. Ness will honor any agreement made with her and can be sided with without fear of betrayal, making this a short but interesting quest.

1 Duke - Random Interaction

Meet The Coolest Cat In The Commonwealth

While there are plenty of awesome characters and companions to meet in Fallout 4, few come close to the level of coolness the Atom Cats have achieved. This small Fallout faction is made up of Greasers who fix and paint power armor to give themselves custom looks. One of the first of the group the Sole Survivor can meet is Duke, who can be found in random locations scavenging parts for his power armor.

While Duke himself won't have a lot to say, he will mark the location of the Atom Cat's garage on the map. Interacting with the Atom Cats is a lot of fun and will allow trade with Rowdy, who sells custom power armor paint jobs, as well as fusion cores, frames and a full set of T-60 armor. If side quests for the group are completed, there is also the perk Friend of The Cats, which grants 10% better prices when trading with the faction in Fallout 4.